Laundry-indicator.



No. 728,866. v PATENTBD MAY 26, 1903. L. CHILD-BESS. LAUNDRY INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1902.

.' H0 MODEL.

, W 5 m a M W W M w k? 5 6 M7 J 7. 7a P w j W, L. /H. q/ .HH ma mamPatented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LULU CHILDRESS, OF ROME, GEORGIA.

LAUNDRY-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,866, dated May 26,1903.

Application filed August 25, 1902. Serial No- 1 20,947. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LULU OHILDRESS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Laundry-Indicator, of which the following is aspecificanon.

This invention relates to laundry-indicators.

The object of the invention is in a ready, simple, thoroughly feasible,and practical manner to keep accurate account of garments, table-linen,and the like entrusted to laundrymen and to Washerwomen. A desideratumin devices of this character is to combine accuracy of operation withreadiness of manipulation. As will hereinafter appear, the indicatorof-this invention combines the above essentials in an advantageousmanner, and by the combination of parts employed it is renderedpractically perpetual in characterthat is to say, provision is made toadapt it for use in connection with garments of all doscriptions andother articles of domestic usethereby obviating any change in thearrangement of its parts to adapt it for use under all conditions.

With these and other objects in View, as"

will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, thesame consists of the novel construction and combination of parts of alaundry-indicator, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, thereis illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable ofcarrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that theelements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from thespirit thereof, and in these drawings Figure 1 is a View in frontelevation of a laundry-indicator characterized by the present invention,section, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction ofthe arrow thereon. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken on theline 3 3, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical Referring to the drawings, 1 designates theholder or backing of the indicator, which may be made of anysuitablematerial, preferably of sheet metal, such as tin, and has its upper endbent rearward on a curve to present a batten 2 to hold the structure ina slightlyinclined position when resting upon a table or the like, andassociated with the batten is an orificed tongue 3, by which theindicator may be suspended from a wall or the like. The front of theholder has connected with it centrally of its width and longitudinallyof its length a guide 4, the upper terminal of which is reduced in widthandis secured to the holder at 5, as by solder or the like, its lowerterminal being secured between the holder and an upturned flange 6 atthe bottom thereof. Secured at their outer edges to the sides of thefront of the holder are two rectangular frames 7, which are formed,preferably, of strips of tin or other sheet metal bent upon themselvesto present clips 8, as shown in Fig. 3, and in these clips are housedlengths of parchment, paper, or metal 9, bearing dials 10, of whichthere may be any number, twelve being shown in this instance on eachstrip, and each dial is herein shown furnished with twelve index-numbersrunning from l to 12, although it is to be understood that these may beincreased, if found necessary or desirable. Associated with each dial isa hand or pointer 11, which may be of any preferred shape and hasconnected with it a finger-piece 12, in this instance shown in the formof a loop, provided for the purpose of turning the hand, the shank ofthe finger-piece being projected through the strip 9 and has secured atits inner end a disk 13, which operates to prevent disconnection of thehands or pointers from the strip. The inner members 14 of the frames 7are disconnected from the holder and constitute side guides which coactwith the center guide in holding in position the cards or slips 15, thatbear the names or'headings of different articles of wearing-apparel,table-linen, and the like. The cards or strips 15 are to be made ofheavy paper or other material suited to the purpose and are spaced intodivisions 16, each of which has at its upper portion a printed headingindicatinga certain class of garments, table-linen, and the like, therebeing a field 17 left below each heading, upon which there may bewritten a short description of the difierent articles comprised underthe headings, thereby to enable the user to keep an accurate record ofevery article entrusted to the laundryman or washer-woman. Thus, forinstance, suppose that eight pillow-slips be sent to the washing. Thesender would move the hand orpointer opposite the field markedPillow-slips to 8, thereby registering the number of the articles. Nowsuppose that four of the pillowslips be plain and the other fourruffled. The sender would write on the field below Pillowslips somethingto this effect: four plain and four ruflled. Or suppose twelve collarsand six pairsof cuffs be sent to the wash. In this case the hands orpointers opposite the fields marked Collars and Cuffs would be moved to12 and 6, respectively, and if the articles belong in part to a lady andin part to a gentleman this fact may be indicated on the field in themanner above described. It will thus be seen that by the provision ofthe fields having general headings an accurate record may be kept ofarticles of all kinds sent to the wash.

The cards or slips 15 may be furnished in bulk along with the holder, sothat when one becomes unfit for use by reason of frequent erasures orthe like its place may readily be supplied by a fresh one.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not to be limitedto the employment of two cards or strips with the holder,

as a single card may be employed, in which case the center guide may bedispensed with. Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A laundry-indicator comprising a back iug, rectangular frames securedto the sides of the front of said backing and constituting guides,strips of-flexible material secured in the guides and having dialsprovided with pointers arranged thereon, and record-blanks held in placeby the guides.

2. A laundry-indicator comprising a backing, rectangular frames securedto the sides of the front of the backing and constituting guides, stripsof flexible material secured in the guides and having dials arrangedthereon, pointers associated with the dials and provided withoutstanding finger-pieces, a guide secured upon the backingintermediateof its width, and record-blanks held in place by the guides, said blanksbeing spaced into divisions disposed opposite the dials,each divisionbearinga printed heading indicating a certain class of garments or thelike, and having a field below the heading to receive written matter.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LULU OHILDRESS.

Witnesses:

O. W. ORR, W. A. MULLINIX.

